UAE-based Astra Tech Group has acquired the BOTIM voice chat app, bringing it closer to building a universal app.
Astra Tech did not disclose the cost of the acquisition, but indicated that the app has 90 million users and 25 million monthly active users.
BOTIM provides money transfer services in the UAE, phone top-ups, and bill payments locally and internationally.
Abdullah Abu Al-Sheikh, founder of Astra Tech, said in an interview with Al-Arabiya that the group has raised about $600 million from various Abu Dhabi-based investors, as well as sovereign wealth funds and other investment parties.
He noted that BOTIM is an integral part of the technology economy in the UAE and the Gulf, and is currently the largest domestic communications company with over 90 million users in over 100 regions, making it the largest in the world. in terms of the number of users in the region and the first social network at the local level.
He added that the main function of the application now is communication, whether it be voice or video calls, and the company will gradually add many services to improve the user experience.
He said: “There must be global competition and all communications around the world are available for free, so we will make sure that our service is free, and we will gradually raise the ceiling to provide each user with access to the greatest number of services such as financial , trade and others.
He continued by saying, “We are aiming to realize the Ultra App concept, which goes beyond the Super App concept, making the app not only a means of communication between people, but also a financial and shopping tool that can be used in all areas of life on daily basis”, indicating that the services of other platforms will be integrated that have been purchased, and that details of the services to be provided by the application will be announced soon.
He added: “The app is easy to use and accessible to the largest number of users in the local market, as well as in the Middle East and North Africa region.”
